November brings the beginning of the slightly quieter period on the farm. All the crops are planted and we are waiting for them to get established and grow a little before the harsher winter months. But what rain we have had since they were planted! Having rushed to get all drilled up before it got too wet to travel on the land, we had so much rain that we were worried the seeds would rot before they even got started. Some of the fields were flooded for a bit but most of the water has receded and most of the seeds have survived. As farmers, we feel the effects of the increasing “extreme weather events” more than many and it is a challenge. Increasingly, we are thinking what is the best and most resilient use of different areas of land taking into account the increasing wet and dry periods. This might depend on the soil type, drainage and proximity to watercourses. As I say, most of the farm here is still looking well, but the farm I work at in Leicestershire is much wetter, so we are considering putting more land into grassland or woodland rather than continue to try and crop it going forwards.
We have also had most of the sugarbeet harvested this month which is looking good! (That optimism striking again!) We won’t know for sure until it all goes into the factory at Bury St Edmunds but expectations are high because of all the rain we had through the summer. When the sugarbeet goes into factory you are told the total weight and sugar %, and you get paid on both. How exciting. Tom is currently deciding whether to grow sugarbeet next year. The price is set through negotiation between British Sugar (who buy it all) and NFU Sugar (who represent the farmers). This year it has been dramatic……the negotiations broke down and British Sugar went over NFU Sugar’s head and offered a prince to the farmer direct. Cue extraordinary general meeting and a lot of shaking of heads. The situation is not yet resolved. Watch this space.
The other exciting thing is that we have some sheep on the farm! Not our own, they are on holiday from Baldock. Last month, we talked about all the lovely cover crops that have been planted to cover the soil over winter. The next problem you have is there is too much of them to get rid of before we plant the cash crop. Enter the sheep, who eat down the cover crop to a level that can be ploughed in ready for the next crop.
“Normal” winter weather would be fine for now.